Paper-bag holder.



`NiTnio STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANK M. THORPE, LAMAR, MISSOURI.

PAPER-BAG HOLDER.

SPECIFILCATION forming` part of Letters Patent'No. 713,178, dated November 1 1, 1902.

. Application tiled June 23, 1902.v Serial No. 112,869. iNo model.)

T0 all whom it m/cty concern/: v

Beit known that I, FRANK M. THoRPn,a citizen of the United States, residing at Lamar, in the county of Barton and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Bag Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to paper-bag holders, and more especially to that class adapted to be suspended above the counter in a store and through the bottom of which the bags are withdrawn, my object being to produce a device of this character of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction which reliably supports one or more bags and from which the latter, one or more ata time, may be instantly extracted.

To this end thevinvention Vconsists in certain novel and peculiar fe'atures'of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood referenceis to bev had to the accompanying drawings,in Whichf- Figure l represents a top plan View of a paper-bag holder embodying my invention. Fig.'

2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the center of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the holder to more clearly disclose its construction.

In the said drawings a pair of wire rods are bent to form the downwardly and forwardly sloping portions l and the arms 2 and 3, extending convergingly forward from the u pper and lower ends of portions 1, and these bent rods are so disposed relativelyT toseach other that the four arms converge forward and constitute the outline of a frame rectangular in cross-section,with its foursides tapering by preference almost to a point, one of the arms 2 and one of the arms 3 from such point being bent to circular form, as at 4 and 5, respectively, these bent portions being connected by curved wires 6, connected together at their lower ends by a small ring '7, so as to constitute a receptacle for a ball of twine or other cord, though it is to be understood in this connection that the cord-holder is unimportant and is not claimed.

8 designates a series of parallel cross-rods connecting arms 2, and 9 a similar series of rods connecting arms 3, each rod 9, companion to one of the rods S, being located forward of the latter and` preferably connected to the same by braceslO, also connecting arms 2 and 3, Said braces extending preferably parallel with portions l of the frame and forming a part of the latter. In the preferred construction these rods 8 and 9 and braces 10 are of integral construction, being formed from wire rods, and at their points of connection with each other and arms 2 and 3 coil around the latter, as at 1l, and to still further brace the frame wire braces 12 connect arms 2 and 3 and extend approximately at right angles to braces 10, as shown.

The skeleton frame above described is divided into a series of parallel and downwardly and forwardly extending compartments by means of coi-respondugly-inclined partitions connected at their upper and lower ends, respectively, to the companion rods 8 and 9, saidpartitions being. preferably in the form of wires 13, coiled at their upper and lower ends upon said rods, and underlying each compartment and extending substantially at right angles to the partitions are ledges 14, which diverge rearwardly with respect to the bottom ot' the frame, the front ends of said ledges being united to the frame coincidentally, by preference, with the lower ends of the partitions at the front side of the compartments which the ledges underlie, and said ledges at their rear ends terminate in lips 15, which with respect to the ledges proper turn upward slightly and project beyond the inclined plane of the rear side of such compartment. These ledges are preferably formed integrally willi the partitions hereinbefore described.

By reason of the tapering formation of the frame the compartments are of Variable depth and width,so as to accommodate paper bags of different sizes, the bags being slipped down into the compartment through their openupper ends and resting upon the ledges, only one package a of the bags being shown in thedrawings.

The holder is supported in any suitable manner above the counter andv within easy reach of the clerks, one form of support being shown as consisting of rods 16, secured to the opposite ends of the frame and attached to any suitable overhead support at their opposite ends, such connection not being shown.

IOO

When a paper bag is desired, the clerk grasps the lower end of the rearmost bag and in one continuous movement first bends its lower end to approximately the position shown by dot-ted lines, Fig. 2, and then withdraws it from the holder between the supporting-ledge of such compartment and the ledge of the next compartment to the rear, this operation being performed without disturbing or disarranging the balance of the bags in the compartment. If a number of bags are desired,they can be withdrawn simultaneously in the manner explained.

With a holder of the type described it is immaterial whether the bags fit snugly in the compartment or not, as one will remain in place as reliably as the package, as even if the bag should be caused to assume an approximately vertical position in the compartment the upturned lip projecting rearwardly beyond the plane of the front top bar 8 and rear bottom bar 9 will form a rest for the lower end of the bag, thus obviating the necessity of any means for clamping the bag or bags in place by a yielding pressure, as is customary with all of the paper-bag holders of which I have knowledge.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a bag-holder possessing the feature of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I have illustrated its preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the detailed construction of the holder may be varied without departing from the principle and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is-

l. A paper-bag holder, comprisinga frame of gradually-decreasing cross-sectional area, provided with substantially parallel partitions sloping downwardlyand forwardly from the top and terminating at the bottom of the frame, and ledges diverging rearwardly with respect to the bottom of the frame and having their front ends secured in the plane of the bottom of the frame and in the vertical plane of the lower ends of said partitions.

respect to the bottom ofthe frame and having their front ends secured in the plane of the bottom of the frame and in the vertical plane of the lower ends of said partitions, and having at their rear ends lips which turn upwardly with respect to said ledges and project rearwardly to or beyond the plane of the upper front and lower rear ends of the cornpartments which their respective ledges underlie.

3. A paper-bag holder, comprising a frame of gradually-decreasing cross-sectional area, and provided with substantially parallel partitions, sloping downwardly and forwardly from the top, and terminating at the bottom of the frame, and ledges forming a junction at their front ends with the lower ends of the 'partitions and extending therefrom divergently rearward with respect to the bottom of the frame.

4. A paper-bag holder, comprising a frame tapering forwardly and embodying cross-bars at top and bottom, the bottom bars companion to the top ones being disposed forwardly of the latter, partitions connected at their upper ends to the top cross-bars, and at their lower ends to the companion bottom crossbars, and extending substantially parallel to each other, and ledges diverging rearwardly with respect to the bottom of the frame and having their front ends secured in the plane of, the bottom of the frame and in the vertital plane of the lower ends of said partitions.

5. A paper-bag holder, comprising a pair of top and a pair of bottom arms, the four converging forwardly and forming the corners of the frame, cross bars connecting the top arms, and companion cross-bars connecting the bottom arms forward of the first-named cross-bars,partitions connected at their upper ends to the top cross-bars, and at their lower ends to the companion bottom cross-bars, and extending substantially parallel to each other, and ledges diverging rearwardly with respect to the bottom of the frame and having their front ends secured thereto in the plane of its bottom and in the plane of the lower ends of said partitions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. THORPE.

Witnesses:

ALTA V. MAYER, J. G. TODD.

I OCv 

